Trudeau book authors Wherry, Ivison talk challenge of penning political tomes as story unfolds
It’s “hard to write simple conclusions when the story itself is changing,” says Aaron Wherry, author of Promise and Peril: Justin Trudeau in Power, one of two new books on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. But John Ivison, author of Trudeau: The Education of a Prime Minister, says the emergence of the SNC-Lavalin affair “more or less […]
Time for party leaders to step up, show who’s going to be the best for public servants
OTTAWA—Many historians trace Labour Day celebrations back to the Nine Hour Movement, an international mobilization effort begun in 1872 to bring about standardized nine-hour working days. From this flowed the early legal rights that made unionization and organizing possible. Today, workers continue to fight for basic protections across the country. Some of these battles will […]
Say yes to the feds: voting patterns show group understands ‘legislative responsibility,’ says ISG
Senators appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are still the most likely to support government bills come voting time, a record the Independents say reflects a philosophy that respects the will of the elected House, and not support of Liberal-specific bills. But Conservative whip Donald Plett (Landmark, Man.) said that record shows what his party has […]
Slogans in this campaign are symbolic of our age
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—Choose Forward. It is time for you to get ahead. Together, they sound like something your mother might have told you before you set off to Grade One. But they are actually the slogans of the two main contending parties in the October election. To be fair, the Conservative Party slogan has subject, object, […]
Freedom isn’t free, and like it or not, money always talks
One of these days, the most ardent advocates for free speech are going to have to finally learn what it actually means. Leaving aside the glaring misnomer that we actually have such a thing enshrined in Canadian law (the Charter protects freedom of expression, with limits), in no context—even the oft-cribbed American version—is freedom from […]
The world can’t take much more right-wing populism
OTTAWA—One of the more interesting little moments at every G7 summit comes toward the end when the country that will be the host the following year announces the site of the next leaders’ conference. True to Donald Trump’s usual machinations, the U.S. president turned this mildy newsy routine into a huge controversy, saying it would […]
From where she stands: Jody Wilson-Raybould to launch new book at the Ottawa Writers Festival
Independent MP Jody Wilson-Raybould will be chatting about her new book at the Ottawa Writers Festival on Sept. 20. The former justice minister and attorney general’s new book, From Where I Stand: Rebuilding Indigenous Nations for a Stronger Canada, details how Canada can overcome its colonial system by moving past denial of its treatment of […]
Leader tours show Liberals eye riding upsets to offset tougher battles out East, experts say
Party leaders’ summer travel itineraries tell a story of politicians who are looking to break ground in ridings historically held by rivals, particularly the Liberals who may be looking to make up for anticipated losses out East, say strategists. “The Liberals have done a good job of setting themselves up for a victory in seats […]
Party’s place in political ecosystem can influence platform rollout, strategists say
The Liberals under Jean Chrétien broke platform ground with the much-vaunted “Red Book,” which inspired copycats for its detailed accounting of the party’s promises. The Stephen Harper Conservatives stuck to a disciplined, five-point platform in the 2006 campaign. Progressive Conservative Doug Ford’s campaign for Ontario premier bucked tradition when he decided not to release a […]
Fearing the Seinfeld election campaign
OTTAWA—Maybe it is the result of being a little bit older or having been in the political arena for a while, but there doesn’t seem to be much excitement in the air heading into the 2019 election. While you now do see lawn signs about and political ads popping up, the energy that usually comes […]
